Ella Turner: A modern-day American woman who moves to the small French village of Lisle-sur-Tarn with her husband Rick. Ella has trouble fitting in and begins having strange dreams and experiences that connect her to her 16th century ancestor Isabelle.

Isabelle du Moulin: Also known as "La Rousse" due to her red hair. Isabelle is a young peasant girl in 16th century France. She marries Etienne Tournier, a man from a Huguenot family. Isabelle's story is told in alternating chapters with Ella's.

Etienne Tournier: Isabelle's husband, a member of a Huguenot family in 16th century France. When the Tourniers face threats from neighboring Catholics, they flee to Geneva.

Jean-Paul: The charming librarian in Lisle-sur-Tarn who befriends Ella and helps her research her family history.

The novel alternates between two storylines set 400 years apart in France:

In the late 16th century, Isabelle du Moulin is a young Catholic woman forced to convert to Protestantism after marrying into a Huguenot family. She must give up her beliefs in the Virgin Mary and her skills as a midwife. Isabelle struggles to adapt to her new life and the strict religious rules imposed on her.

In the late 20th century, Ella Turner moves from California to the small French town of Lisle-sur-Tarn. She discovers a centuries-old degraded statue of the Virgin Mary and becomes obsessed with restoring it, connecting her to Isabelle's story from long ago.

Some key points about The Virgin Blue:

It alternates between Ella's modern-day story in France and Isabelle's tragic tale from the 1500s, with the two narratives eventually intertwining.

Ella begins having vivid dreams about the color blue and discovers connections to her ancestor Isabelle, who was known as "La Rousse" for her red hair.

Isabelle was a peasant girl suspected of witchcraft due to her red hair, midwifery skills, and devotion to the Virgin Mary and the color blue. She and her Huguenot husband were forced to flee France for religious freedom.

The novel explores themes of outsiders, religious persecution, and the clash between Catholicism and Protestantism.